Aesthetics are very important to most yacht owners, and the perception
may be that a stylist will be more creative or artistic in sculpting the
exterior shape. Espinosa claims that about 80 percent of his clients seek
him out because they like the “look” he is able to create. But he attributes
his success as a stylist to his formal education as a building architect,
which he says gave him a keen appreciation for the crucial relationship
between external form and internal function. For example, window placement
is a key element of exterior styling that is highly constrained by interior
functionality; people need to be able to see out without having to stoop
or stretch.

It’s also true that many naval architects, like Jack Sarin and Tom Fexas,
are themselves fine stylists. As a full-service design firm, Sparkman
& Stephens has its own in-house stylists but will work with an outside
one if the client prefers. The main thing to consider is that as the number
of people increases, it becomes more difficult to coordinate the process.
So the owner may have to hire a project manager to make sure the naval
architect, stylist, and interior decorator are all working together. And
this is before the shipyard enters the picture.

Because the shipyard is usually the party ultimately responsible for a
yacht’s construction and performance, most large custom builders have
their own naval architects. So why should an owner hire his own naval
architect? Why not just leave the engineering details to the builder?
The danger in that approach is that each shipyard bidding on the project
may interpret the specifications differently, so the owner ends up comparing
apples and oranges. If a naval architect prepares the owner’s bid package,
each shipyard will be bidding on the same engineering solution. Even in
a situation where the owner has decided on a particular yard, having his
own naval architect will let him gauge how big a margin the yard has allowed
itself in estimating weight and powering to make sure the yacht achieves
her specified design speed.

According to Matzat, the parts of a design that are the most easily overlooked
(the “boring” engineering details) are the ones that usually cause the
biggest problems. At a project’s inception most owners are focused on
looks and speed. Design issues like providing adequate ventilation for
the engines and allowing the air conditioning to be serviced without dismantling
the saloon are details easily overlooked by a designer or stylist who
does not have a full appreciation of the engineering aspects. Addressing
those considerations later in the design process is almost always more
expensive.

If you consider choosing a stylist to design your next custom yacht, be
sure he or she knows how yachts are built, operated, and maintained and
has an appreciation for mundane details like sight lines and how to attach
a fender. And bring the naval architect and interior decorator into the
project at its inception, so the design can evolve into an integrated,
harmonious blend of structure, space allocation, aesthetics, and performance.
George L. Petrie is a professor of naval architecture at the University
of New Orleans and provides maritime consulting services. His Web site
is www.maritimeanalysis.com.